Twenty Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

minutes, dismissed her.

It was at this moment D’Artagnan entered the courtyard of

the palace, in the coadjutor’s carriage, and a few seconds

later the carriages of the ladies-in-waiting drove out and

the gates were shut after them.

A few minutes after twelve o’clock Bernouin knocked at the

queen’s bedroom door, having come by the cardinal’s secret

corridor. Anne of Austria opened the door to him herself.

She was dressed, that is to say, in dishabille, wrapped in a

long, warm dressing-gown.

“It is you, Bernouin,” she said. “Is Monsieur d’Artagnan

there?”

“Yes, madame, in your oratory. He is waiting till your

majesty is ready.”

“I am. Go and tell Laporte to wake and dress the king, and

then pass on to the Marechal de Villeroy and summon him to

me.”

Bernouin bowed and retired.

The queen entered her oratory, which was lighted by a single

lamp of Venetian crystal, She saw D’Artagnan, who stood

expecting her.

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

“Is it you?” she said.

“Yes, madame.”

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“And his eminence, the cardinal?”

“Has got off without any accident. He is awaiting your

majesty at Cours la Reine.”

“But in what carriage do we start?”

“I have provided for everything; a carriage below is waiting

for your majesty.”

“Let us go to the king.”

D’Artagnan bowed and followed the queen. The young Louis was

already dressed, with the exception of his shoes and

doublet; he had allowed himself to be dressed, in great

astonishment, overwhelming Laporte with questions, who

replied only in these words, “Sire, it is by the queen’s

commands.”

The bedclothes were thrown back, exposing the king’s bed

linen, which was so worn that here and there holes could be

seen. It was one of the results of Mazarin’s niggardliness.

The queen entered and D’Artagnan remained at the door. As

soon as the child perceived the queen he escaped from

Laporte and ran to meet her. Anne then motioned to

D’Artagnan to approach, and he obeyed.

“My son,” said Anne of Austria, pointing to the musketeer,

calm, standing uncovered, “here is Monsieur d’Artagnan, who

is as brave as one of those ancient heroes of whom you like

so much to hear from my women. Remember his name well and

look at him well, that his face may not be forgotten, for

this evening he is going to render us a great service.”

The young king looked at the officer with his large-formed

eye, and repeated:

“Monsieur d’Artagnan.”

“That is it, my son.”

The young king slowly raised his little hand and held it out

to the musketeer; the latter bent on his knee and kissed it.

“Monsieur d’Artagnan,” repeated Louis; “very well, madame.”

At this moment they were startled by a noise as if a tumult

were approaching.

“What is that?” exclaimed the queen.

“Oh, oh!” replied D’Artagnan, straining both at the same

time his quick ear and his intelligent glance, “it is the

murmur of the populace in revolution.”

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

“We must fly,” said the queen.

“Your majesty has given me the control of this business; we

had better wait and see what they want.”

“Monsieur d’Artagnan!”

“I will answer for everything.”

Nothing is so catching as confidence. The queen, full of

energy and courage, was quickly alive to these two virtues

in others.

“Do as you like,” she said, “I rely upon you.”

“Will your majesty permit me to give orders in your name

throughout this business?”

“Command, sir.”

“What do the people want this time?” demanded the king.

“We are about to ascertain, sire,” replied D’Artagnan, as he

rapidly left the room.

The tumult continued to increase and seemed to surround the

Palais Royal entirely. Cries were heard from the interior,

of which they could not comprehend the sense. It was evident

that there was clamor and sedition.

The king, half dressed, the queen and Laporte remained each

in the same state and almost in the same place, where they

were listening and waiting. Comminges, who was on guard that

night at the Palais Royal, ran in. He had about two hundred

men in the courtyards and stables, and he placed them at the

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